MoFA initiates process to end ban on five vegetables by EU

The Plant Protection and Regulatory Services Department (PPRSD) of the Ministry of Agriculture (MoFA) has outlined a number of measures to address the issues necessitating the ban on five vegetables to the European market.
Some of the measures, according to the Director of the division, Ms Milly E. Kyofa-Boama, were stepping up the training of farmers on good farm practices and engaging researchers and experts to educate them on pest identification and control.

At a news conference in Accra last Wednesday, she said the PPRSD would also educate farmers on fact sheets to enhance proper record keeping.
The European Union (EU) Plant Health Standing Committee has voted to impose a temporary ban on five vegetables from Ghana due to the high level of harmful organisms in the products.
It followed an audit conducted by the Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) which listed the vegetables as capsicum, solanum species other than tomatoes and potatoes; momordica, luffa and langenaria, which are gourds.
Ms Kyofa-Boama said her outfit would also embark on unannounced visits to farms and packaging houses to tighten monitoring in the sector.

Pest infestation

The sector Minister, Mr Fiifi Kwetey, said the presence of pests in the vegetables and the lack of proper documentation for exports were the main causes of the ban.
He blamed the situation on inadequate collaboration between the public and the private sectors and weak adherence to guidelines.
“Some of these are lack of discipline among our exporters who, in the face of strict guidelines, flout and export produce unprofessionally. They source produce from unregistered farmers, pack it in very insanitary pack houses, knowing that their produce do not meet minimum standards expected,” he said.
The minister explained that not only was the current situation destroying the country’s image internationally; it also destroyed the businesses of some exporters who were committed to excellence.
In the light of that, Mr Kwetey announced some directives to be complied with by all stakeholders.
Thorough inspection
Apart from the temporary ban on the vegetables in question, the minister tasked the PPRSD to conduct thorough inspection of produce and crack the whip on all who failed to comply with the regulations.
The PPRSD was also encouraged to effectively monitor the supply chain by registering all farm sources to ensure that produce was sourced from farms with no history of bad records.

“The PPRSD is to ban exporters of fresh vegetables who do not belong to any registered association recognised by the PPRSD and who source their produce from unregistered farms,” he said.
To sanitise the system at all stages of the export chain, the minister said agents of freight forwarding, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), airline operators and other agents should not foul the system or aid exporters to add any produce without approval from the PPRSD.